Under-18s face knife and replica gun ban

Under-18s are to be banned from buying knives and replica guns in a new campaign against gang culture being unveiled by Tony Blair today.

In a bid to blunt the Tories' attack over rising violent crime, the Prime Minister was set to promise that if Labour wins the general election, expected on 5 May, a tough law would be enacted within weeks.

The sales ban is in Labour's fivepoint "mini-manifesto" on crime, published today. Mr Blair was set to say it would give Britain the " toughest anti-gun laws in the world".

The number of offences committed using replica guns rose 48 per cent between the year 2002/03 and 2003/04. London has a particular problem. Currently, under-16s cannot buy imitation guns, but ministers believe this makes them easily accessible to teenagers as young as 14, fuelling youth gang culture.

The Violent Crime Reduction Bill would also allow headteachers to search pupils for replica guns, and bring in new manufacturing standards to make it harder for replicas to be converted into live firearms.

During a visit to Enfield police station today, Mr Blair and Home Secretary Charles Clarke are expected to see a huge array of weapons handed in during a recent amnesty under the Met's Operation Blunt, aimed at cutting knife crime.

The crime mini-manifesto also proposes boosting the number of community support officers from 5,000 to 24,0000 by 2008, with ?340 million for neighbourhood policing.

Drug testing on arrest would be introduced in 100 high-crime areas, and anyone convicted of drunken violence three times could be banned from a town centre.

Fixed penalty notices will be introduced for under-16s responsible for anti-social behaviour.